Voltage doubler circuit and apparatus



Dec. 23, 1941. n T. R. ELs'rRoM 2,267,233

' VOLTAGE DOUBLER CIRCUIT AND APPARATUS` Filed July 2l, 1939 Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UINITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE VOLTAGE DOUBLER CIRCUIT AND APPARATUS Ted R. Elstrom, Concordia, Kans. Application July 21, 1939, seriaiNo. 285,825 1 Claim. (cl. 1v1- 97) 'I'his invention relates to an improved voltage doubler circuit and apparatus and seeks, among other objects, to provide means whereby direct current-voltages may be effectively-raised.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a circuit and. apparatus of this character which will function for raising voltages without the use of transformers, motor tubes. f

A further object of the invention is to provide a voltage doubler circuit and apparatus employing only a vibrator and two condensers for effecting the voltage raising.

A further object of the invention is to provide a voltage doubler circuit and apparatus which is of simple arrangement andconstructicn and which is adaptable for use in any apparatus where the current demand is small.

Other and incidental objects of the invention not particularly mentioned hereinbefore will become apparent during the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit employed,

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the vibrator employed,

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference will be seen to designate similar parts throughout the views, there will be described rst the vibrator which forms the moving part of my invention.

- The vibrator is illustrated in detail in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing. Said vibrator includes a base I having arms or brackets 2 and 3 which are riveted or otherwise suitably secured to one end of the base. The base I is of substantially rectangular shape and is formed of any suitable material. Mounted between the brackets 2 and 3 is a magnet coil 4. Pole pieces 5 and l of substantially L shape are carried on the brackets 2 and 3 and are mounted in opposed relation.'

Mounted on the base at its opposite end and in parallel relation with the brackets 2 and 3 and the coil 4 is a mounting strip 1. The mounting strip 1 has mounted thereon a reed which is indicated generally at 8. The reed 8 relatively generators or vacuum wide and extends throughout the major portion of the length of the base I thereabove and terminates in spaced relation to the inner extremities of the pole pieces 5 and 6. An armature 9 is suitably secured to the reed 8 at its free end.

. The armature is of soft ferrous metal and is mounted to swing near the pole pieces 5 and 6 so that, when the coil 4 is energized, in a manner to bedescribed in more detail hereinafter, the reed 8 will be caused to vibrate.

The reed 8, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5, has A pairs of contacts mounted thereon. More specifically, contacts I0 and II are mounted near one edge of the reed at opposite sides thereof and are connected with each other by a stem or bolt I2. The contacts I0 and II, however, are insulated from the reed by a bushing I3 and strips of insulating material I4 and I5, at opposite sides of the reed. The reed 8 is provided at its opposite edge, with contacts I6 and I1 which are insulated from the reed by the strips I4 and I5 and a bushing I8. The contacts I6 and I1 are connected to each other by stems or bolts I9. As will be apparent from a glance at Figure 4, the contacts I5 and I1 are horizontally aligned with the contacts I0 andII so that, in side elevation, but one pair of contacts appear.

Mounted on the reed 8 medially thereof and beneath the contacts II), II, I6 and I1 is a contact 20. The contact 2U is connected electrically to the reed and is xed thereon by means of an upset head 2`I or, in any other suitable manner.

In order to cooperate with the contacts I0, II, I6 and I1, I provide additional contacts 22, 23, 24 and 25. Asbest seen in Figure 3, the contacts 22 and 23 are mounted on spring contact members 26 and 21 respectively. The spring contact members are carried on the mounting strip 1 in spaced relation to the reed 8 and are so arranged that the contacts 22` and 23 directly confront'the contacts HI and I6, respectively, so that swing- Y ing of the reed toward the contacts 22 and 23 will enect engagement between these contacts and said contacts I0 and I6. 'Ihe contacts 24 and 25 are mounted, as best seen in Figure 2, on spring contact members 28 and 29. rThe spring contact members bers 26 and 21, are of suilicient length to position the contacts 24 and 25 to confront the contacts I I and I 1 so that engagement between contacts I and I1 and the contacts 24 and 25 may take place when the reed 8 is caused to vibrate. A relatively short spring contact member 30 is also mounted on the strip 1 and carries a contact 3| which is adapted to cooperate with the contact 28 and 29, like the contact mem- 2t which is mounted on the reed and electrically connected therewith. The spring contact member 30 is of lighter construction than the other ,spring contact members and is, therefore, ca-

pable of greater swinging movement. Springs 32 are carried on the strip l. A spring 32 is provided for each of the contact springs 26, 2l, 23, 2Q and 30 and serves to provide proper resilient response of said spring contact members. It will be seen, by referring particularly to Figure d, that the reed t lis biased or sprung slightly toward the spring contact members 2t, 2S and t@ so that the contacts 2t and 3i will be normally closed.

The contacts il, il, 2d and 25, however, will remain normally open.

Reference is now had to Figure 1 of the drawing, wherein the schematic wiring diagram is shown. .A pair of in-put terminals are indicated at 33 and 36. The in-put terminal 33 is connected, by a conductor 35, to the contact 2li,

While the terminal 3d is connected to the contact 2t by a conductor 3%. Aconductor 3l extends from the conductor 35 and is connected with the contact 22. A conductor 38 connects one terminal of the coil d with the' conductor 3l. The other terminal of the coil fl is connected by a conductor 39 to the contact 3l, which is engageable with the contact 20. A conductor lili connects the conductor 36 with an out-put terminal di. Another out-put terminal is indicated at d2 and is connected by a conductor 43 with the contact 23. A condenser d is connected, by conductors 45 and t, across the out-put terminals t2 and di. A second condenser is indiciated at el. Thiscondenser is, by means or. conductors 88 and 49 and exible leads 5@ and 5i, connected with the contacts it, it, il and il. 'A conductor 52 is connected with the conductor dii and the reed d.

The operation of my improved voltage doubler circuit and apparatus will now be described.

A source of direct current to be raised is connected to theterminals 33 and 36. inasmuch as the contacts 2B and di are normally closed, cure rent will ow from the terminal 33 through the conductor 3l, the conductor 3S, the magnetcoil .4, the conductor 3Q, through the contacts 3i and 2o, through the reed d, through the conductor i5?, and back to the terminal td, through the conductor 3E. 'Ihe reed 8 will thus be caused to vibrate. As the reed vibrates,- the contacts il and Il will intermittently engage the contacts 24 and 25, respectively, with the result that the condenser 4l will be charged by the current in the direct current line. The reed 8, of course, eiects vibratory engagement between the contacts I6 and 23 and l0 and 22. When these latter mentioned contacts are engaged, the condenser 41 discharges into the condenser 45 with the result that` the condenser 44 will be supplied with the voltage of the charged condenser 4l, plus the in-put voltage. A pulsating direct current will be generated and said pulsating direct current will, of course, be oa considerably higher voltage than the irl-put voltage. It should be understood that the condensers it and dll `will be hof proper working voltage to withstand all the voltage developed by the circuit and the vibrator, since the capacity of these condensers is a factor which will determine theamount oi current that can be drawn from the circuit. Also, if necessary, a resistor may be inserted in the circuit when voltageshigher than Vthe working voltage l of th'efmagnet coil are to be used. Protection of the magnet coil will thus be e'ected. The resistor could Vwell be placed in the conductor t, and attention is particularly directed to the fact that the contacts 2@ and 3l are normally engageable so that operation of the reed will begin as soon as the in-put voltage is applied. inasmuch as the contacts 22, 23, 2li and 25 are mounted on.

the spring contact members 26, 2l, 23 and 29,

respectively, slight misadjustment of any contact will still allow proper engagement of these contacts .and the contacts on the reed simultaneously so that the condenser di will bel charged V and discharged. It ispointed out that the spring contact member 3K9 will have .less resistance to movement due to the fact that this contact member will necessarily have to spring farther than the other contacts. 1

The invention lends itself particularly for use in doubling or raising the voltage of il@ direct current line so that radios or other apparatus,

contact for engagement with the nist-mentioned contact, circuit connections between the contacts, the coil and the' source ot direct current voltage, said coil eecting vibratory. movement of the reed, sets of contacts carried by the reedl and insulated therefrom, a condenser connected across the sets of contacts, cooperating contacts,

means mounting said cooperating contacts for vibratory' engagement with the sets oi contacts on the reed, a pair of output terminals, a second condenser, and circuit connections between the I sets of contacts, the `condensers andthe output terminals, said sets of contacts and 'reed coop erating for charging the condenser from the in? put voltage whereby th'e condenser will add to said input voltage-for'raising the voltage at the output terminals upon discharge or certain of Vsaid condensers., f

'ran n. Ens'rnoin. 

